When Harry returned, however, Draco was still writing lines, a scowl on his face.
Harry went to order breakfast himself, but when he tried to get some Floo powder, his fingers found only a scrap of parchment. Curious, he pulled it out and saw that it was actually a tiny envelope. For emergencies only was written across it in Snape's hand. Harry shook it and heard the shifting of powder.
"So much for not using food as a punishment," Draco bitterly mocked as Harry sat down at the table. "I can't even order a meal, now."
"Well, I'm sure Dad's not going to let you starve," Harry said in a reasonable voice as he sat down at the table. "He just doesn't think you should have a limitless supply of Floo powder after what you did. But look, if he didn't care about you he wouldn't have left an emergency supply. He wants you to be able to firecall him if you have a serious problem."
"Ha. He wants you to be able to firecall. I'm sure I can go straight to the devil for all he cares." Draco dotted an i so viciously that the tip of his quill snapped off.
"I'm sure he's angry," Harry corrected. "I'm angry, too. What you did, and then all the lies, and blaming Dobby..." Harry sighed, because as furious as he felt, he also thought that yelling at Draco just now wasn't going to do any of them any good. "Weren't you listening last night, though? We do still love you."
"I wish you'd stop saying that," Draco muttered, quickly looking down.
"I know, but I'm not going to, or at least, not until you start to understand what it means to be part of a family."
"Oh, like you would know so much about families." Draco's long fingers snatched another quill from the pile on the table.
"Yeah, well whatever I know is what Severus taught me, so I know he still loves you!"
Harry never got to find out what Draco might have replied, for at that moment they heard Snape coming into the room. And he wasn't arriving by Floo. He'd apparently been in his bedroom. But if Draco had been writing lines most of the night and hadn't seen Snape come back from his arrangements, whatever that meant, the man must not have been gone very long the night before.
"Good morning, Harry, Draco," he greeted them both, frowning as he checked his watch. "Breakfast should be here by now, I would think."
No sooner had he spoken than steaming platters and bowls full of food appeared on the table, along with a stack of three plates and assorted utensils.
Draco bit his lip, then jumped up and began prying his parchment sheets out from under all of it. He didn't speak to his father, but sort of waved his work for him to see.
"Ah, so that wasn't a mouse I heard out here all night," Snape murmured.
That seemed to loosen Draco's tongue. "You heard me working and didn't come out to talk to me?"
Snape seated himself and began methodically serving out the food. "I needed time to consider your offences," he calmly replied. "Do be seated, Draco." Snape passed a plate to each of his sons. "Now, as you may have realised already, you will no longer be at liberty to order what you wish from the kitchens. Food will arrive here at mealtimes and you'll eat whatever is being served in the Great Hall."
"Yes, sir," said Draco in a low voice.
Unlike with Harry, Snape didn't rebuke the use of sir. Maybe he thought it was high time Draco learned a little respect.
"So that's my punishment? I'm forbidden the Floo?"
Snape ate a forkful of scrambled egg before he answered. "That's merely a sensible precaution on my part since I can't possibly trust you."
Draco's lips quivered a bit at that, though of course Snape was saying nothing but the truth. "I... all right, you can't. I'm sorry--"
"Tea, Harry?" questioned Snape, glancing his way.
Harry shook his head.
"Tea for you, Draco?"
"Didn't you hear me?" asked Draco in a plaintive voice. "I said I was sorry."
"I heard you," Snape answered, dark eyes steady on his Slytherin son once more. "Unfortunately, I rather doubt you mean it."
"I do! I'm really, really sorry!"
He looked to Harry, then, eyes beseeching, and though Harry felt uncomfortable, he also felt it was his duty as a brother to say something. "He cried and cried last night, Dad. And when has Draco ever wept like that? I think he really does regret what he did."
"I think he regrets getting caught," Snape replied in a hard voice.
"No, I--"
"You might as well know the truth," interrupted the Potions Master. "Your poisoning attempt did actually garner a victim."
Draco's pale face went whiter than usual. "Oh, no."
"Yes, you're envisioning a longish stint in Azkaban right about now, I imagine," Snape went on.
"Did..." By then, even Draco's lips were white. He hadn't eaten a bite of his breakfast. "Am I to be charged?"
"Don't you even want to know who ate one of your infernal fairy cakes? Or are you too busy worrying about yourself to even care that you made someone ill? Someone not in league with Lucius, by the way. Someone, in fact, who wouldn't dream of aligning himself with Lucius. Someone innocent."
By the end, Harry thought, their father's voice was cold enough to freeze embers.
"Who?" Draco gasped.
The Potions Master stood up and waved his wand to summon Dobby, who appeared accompanied by a noise rather like a thunderclap.
"Who?" Draco asked again, and then in tones of relief. "Oh, him. Well, that's fine then."
Harry sighed, seeing now what Snape had so effortlessly seen earlier. Draco was only thinking of himself. He wasn't relieved because Dobby was obviously all right; all he cared about was the fact that Harry could tell this particular elf to keep the whole thing a secret! In fact, ignoring Dobby completely, Draco was turning to Harry to say something!
Snape raised his voice slightly. "You will apologise, Draco."
"I did! I said I was sorry--"
"You will say that to him." Snape inclined his head toward the elf, who was being uncharacteristically silent. Harry could only think that this was one of the things Snape had gone to arrange the previous night.
Draco crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I'm not apologising to a damned house-elf."
"Oh yes, you most certainly are," Snape corrected, his voice utterly cold.
Draco opened his mouth as though to object again, then closed it, his silver eyes gleaming hard. "Fine, fine. Sorry, Tobby."
"His name's Dobby!"
"Sorry, Dobby," Draco grated. "There. Satisfied?" His gaze swept the room from Snape to Harry and back.
Ignoring his son's behaviour, Snape reached into a trouser pocket and drew out a length of fine, shimmering fabric edged with silver tassels. Leaning down, he draped it around Dobby's shoulders, arranging the shawl so it wouldn't touch the floor. "For your loyal service to Harry Potter," the Potions Master said. "You have my deepest gratitude."
Dobby's eyes filled with tears. "Dobby is happy to be helping Harry Potter."
Snape smiled. "Yes, I am aware." Stepping back then, he nodded for the elf to depart.
Dobby glanced once at Harry before Apparating away.
Draco huffed a little as he poured himself half a glass of pumpkin juice. "What was all that about? If the stupid little elf is going to nick fairy cakes clearly meant for students, then I say he deserves what he gets."
"You prat!" Harry shouted. "That was the worst apology I've ever heard! And anyway, Dad told you the elves are testing any mystery food that shows up! You didn't bother to ask why, did you now--"